New Gwadar International Airport: Pakistan's 2nd Greenfield Class 4F Airport Nearing Completion

[Riaz Haq]

The architecture of the New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) is inspired by a rising Phoenix. It is Pakistan's second greenfield airport built from scratch in a new location. With a 3,650-meter long runway, it is a Class 4F airport.  NGIA is scheduled to begin test flights in December this year.  The only other airport with a 3,600-meter long runway is the New Islamabad International Airport that opened for commercial flights in 2018. Karachi and Lahore international airports have runways lengths of 3,400 meters and 3,360 meters respectively, putting them in 4E class. All four of these major Pakistani airports can handle landing of Airbus A380, the largest commercial airliner in operation today. 

New Gwadar International Airport Architecture Inspired by A Rising Phoenix

New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) is being built in Gwadar at a cost of $246 million on an area of 4,300 acres. Construction of NGIA started in October, 2019. The entire project is being built by the state-owned China Airport Construction Company funded by a Chinese government grant. It was originally scheduled for completion in 36 months. The work was slightly delayed due to the COVID19 pandemic. It is now expected to be ready for trial flights in December, 2022. 

New Gwadar International Airport, Gwadar, Pakistan

NGIA is part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. Another key CPEC project recently completed in Gwadar is the 19-kilometer long six-lane East Bay Expressway. It was opened for traffic on June 3, 2022. East Bay Expressway connects to the Makran Coastal Highway which in turn is connected to the larger network of motorways and highways in the country as well as to China and the landlocked nations of Central Asia in CAREC.

East Bay Expressway, Gwadar, Pakistan

The completion of New Gwadar International Airport and East Bay Expressway is an indication that the Western and Indian media headlines about the death of CPEC are not credible. To the contrary, the continuing progress on CPEC projects confirms the strong commitment of both the Chinese and the Pakistan government to move forward with their broad-based cooperation. Just yesterday, Pakistan's new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed that his government is determined to complete all the projects under the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said China would continue to support its companies in investing and operating in Pakistan to realize win-win results and shared development. 

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[Riaz Haq]

Navigational system goes into operation at new Gwadar Airport

https://www.nation.com.pk/13-Jun-2024/navigational-system-goes-into...

ISLAMABAD - In a significant development, high-tech navigational system has finally come into force at New Gwadar International Airport, ensuring fully operation of sensor and signaling processes, aeronautical positioning mechanism and flight management systems.

The navigation system is integral for determining an aircraft’s coordinates, altitude, speed and other parameters. It exploits geo radio positioning through a network of artificial satellites in orbit.

“NGIA navigational system configure the autopilot to follow the route set before take-off and it also configure the take-off and approach routes and the information indicated by the flight controllers.

It helps to calculate the flight parameters, recommend the power settings, to reduce fuel consumption and estimate the arrival time within the route,” Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan (CCCP) official told Gwadar Pro.


Along with the functionality of Navigation system, telecommunication work has also gone into operation with top-notch wifi system.

NGIA’s state of art telecommunication paraphernalia involves telecom networks and systems that use various technologies and protocols to facilitate the transmission of voice, data, and audio-video signals between devices, including smartphones, computers, and other communication devices.

New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA), an iconic project of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), cost Rs60.208 billion (Rs33 billion from Chinese grant and Rs27 billion from Pakistani and Omani government side).

With the joint effort of professional teams of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Pakistan, fencing around the New Gwadar International Airport has already been completed.


New Gwadar International Airport spreading over across an area of 4,300 acres will welcome entire load of national and international passengers.

In second phase, cargo complex will be built and it will come up with new capacity to handle multiple cargo stuff. NGIA will be the biggest in Pakistan and will also become the nation’s second airport.

It will have the capacity to accommodate narrow-body aircraft such as ATR 72 and Boeing B-737, as well as wide-body aircraft such as Airbus A-380 and Boeing B-747 for domestic and international routes.

The airport will be operated under open sky policy and will be developed under the guidance of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

[Riaz Haq]

China, Pakistan to enhance connectivity of Gwadar Port

https://en.portnews.ru/news/369176/

China and Pakistan agreed to solidly enhance connectivity between the Gwadar Port and other parts of Pakistan, said a joint statement issued here Tuesday during Chinese Premier Li Qiang's official visit to Pakistan.

Recognizing the significance of the Gwadar Port as a key hub for cross-regional connectivity, the two sides reaffirmed their readiness to speed up the development of the auxiliary infrastructure of the Gwadar Port and to steadily attract more cargo shipments to the port.

They also agreed to find a solution to the inadequate water and power supply at an early date, to accelerate the development of the port's industrial zone and to solidly enhance connectivity between the port and other parts of Pakistan.

[Riaz Haq]

CPEC Upgraded Version With Pakistan’s 5Es – OpEd – Eurasia Review

Patial RC, retired Infantry officer of the Indian Army


https://www.eurasiareview.com/17102024-cpec-upgraded-version-with-p...

Upgraded Version of CPEC: 5Es
In a Joint Statement the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to an upgraded version of CPEC by jointly building a growth corridor, a livelihood-enhancing corridor, an innovation corridor, a green corridor and an open corridor, and develop CPEC into a demonstration project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The two sides agreed to further synergize China’s eight major steps for supporting BRI cooperation with Pakistan’s 5Es framework based on Exports, E-Pakistan, Environment, Energy, and Equity & Empowerment.

IMF: Urged Pakistan to halt incentives to SEZs
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) asked Pakistan to stop setting up any Special Economic Zones (SEZ) that offers incentives for investment, in a move that may undermine Islamabad’s efforts to attract more Chinese industries into the country. IMF said in its report released on Oct 10. This may impact efforts to draw Chinese industries amid ongoing development under the CPEC. This will help provide a level playing field for investment, said the report.

The IMF’s condition comes as Prime Minster Shehbaz Sharif is trying to convince Chinese to shift more industries into Pakistan. The country had planned to build at least 9 SEZs under the CPEC projects that are at various stages of development.

The Pakistan government has assured the IMF that it will not allocate an additional budget to settle the 493 billion dues of Chinese power plants. The outstanding dues of power projects of the CPEC alarmingly increased to a record USD 1.8 billion as of the end of January 2024. By 2023, Pakistan was dedicating nearly 8 per cent of its GDP just to service its debt to China.

CPEC Shifts from Large-Scale Projects to Smaller Ones
Although some energy and infrastructure projects have been completed. CPEC projects have yet to deliver meaningful benefits to the people of Balochistan, a province that makes up 44% of Pakistan’s land.

A key issue remains energy. The two energy projects under CPEC are located in Balochistan. The first 300 MW imported coal power project in Gwadar has yet to be built and the project is likely be shelved due to non-availability of finances. Meanwhile, the China Power Hub Generation Company’s 1,320MW coal-fired plant is also facing frequent problems and leading to appeals for intervention from the Chinese ambassador to the prime minister.

The BRI’s flagship project, the Gwadar port, is operational but has so far failed to attract any worthwhile trade activity envisioned to “connect South Asia to the world”.

China, meanwhile, has shifted away from large-scale infrastructure projects to smaller ones with faster results focusing on a thousand small-scale livelihood programmes, aim to address local needs through targeted, manageable projects. Chinese business leaders are believed to have revealed unofficial instructions from their government to avoid investing in long-term projects. The direction changed after the slow pace and poor returns on existing projects.

According to Isabel Hilton, founder of China Dialogue 2024 and visiting professor at King’s College London. “Large-scale BRI investments peaked around 2017, as many of the projects became problematic for a number of reasons,” she told Dialogue Earth. Chinese banks and government entities have become much more cautious in their lending and finance policies in a world of low growth and mounting levels of debt.”

[Riaz Haq]

Feature: China-funded forest flourishes in Pakistan's Gwadar as symbol of friendship

https://english.news.cn/20241001/d0db756e74104906b9502b59eccce0d1/c...

by Misbah Saba Malik, Deng Kaiyin

GWADAR, Pakistan, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- As the sea breeze swept through a vibrant forest just a few yards away from the bustling Gwadar Port, here in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, Muhammad Iqbal called out firmly from a corner, instructing his subordinates to water the plants carefully, making sure not to trample the delicate saplings.

For the 57-year-old fellow, who has been working with the port for the last 16 years, this friendship forest is not just a collection of greenery but a personal labor of love.

As one of the pillar projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Gwadar Port has been operated by China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) since 2013.

Launched in 2013, CPEC, the flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking the Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan's Balochistan province with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport, and industrial cooperation in the first phase, while in the new phase expands to fields of agriculture and livelihood, among others.

"This place was once barren, with nothing but dust blowing around all day," he recalled. "One day, a Chinese manager from COPHC told me that they were going to transform this land into a forest, and that is how it all began."

"We have selected tree species suitable for local climate with wind-breaking and sand-fixing functions for the greening project," said Wang Ruilei, who was in charge of greening at COPHC, adding that after joint efforts from both sides, more than 4,000 trees have been planted in the friendship forest in Gwadar.

The once-empty plot has now blossomed into a lush sanctuary, and the seedlings that Iqbal planted are now grown into strong trees providing beautiful scenery and fresh air to the people of Gwadar.

"As per our observation, the maximum ground temperature in a year used to reach 52 degrees Celsius, but now it is around 43 degrees Celsius," said Wang, "I am proud to say that I can feel the improvement of the local climate brought by the forest."

The forest has seen Chinese ambassadors to Pakistan and foreign ambassadors from countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the European Union to Pakistan plant trees during their visits to Gwadar, and each tree stands as a symbol of growing diplomatic ties between Pakistan and these nations.

Bilal Javed, Iqbal's subordinate who joined him a year ago, has been assigned the most crucial responsibility of nurturing the plants the dignitaries had planted.

"Iqbal is meticulous about these plants," Bilal said, adding that "they represent memories of our foreign guests, and we must ensure they flourish -- just like Pakistan's relations with China and these countries."

The 27-year-old said that the forest also motivated him and many other young people of Gwadar to replicate the good work and plant trees at their homes.

"Before this forest, this area used to be dusty and warm, but with all this greenery, the air feels cleaner and fresher," Bilal said, taking a deep breath as the breeze rustled the leaves of the trees overhead.

As a key component of the Chinese Ambassador's Green Employment Plan Project, the forest has helped promote local employment and increased farmers' income in Gwadar.

In a conversation with Xinhua, Allah Buksh, another forester in the forest, said the trees and shrubs planted in the forest have provided a large amount of feed for the sheep farm.

"Chinese staff has also taught local farmers techniques such as cuttings, grafting, scientific weeding, and fertilization to increase crop yields," he added.

The transformation of this once-desolate land into a flourishing forest has not only beautified the port area but has also sparked a green movement, making Iqbal plan to expand the forest of the kind to other parts of the city.

[Riaz Haq]

Pak-China Friendship Hospital brings lifesaving relief and hope in Pakistan's Gwadar-Xinhua

https://english.news.cn/20241104/759137d30165436e91c6f3416b0bf557/c...


Affan Faiq Zada, Medical Superintendent: "We have seen drastic improvements in the health outcomes here. This hospital has been a blessing for the local community." The Pak-China Friendship Hospital is making a significant impact in Pakistan's Gwadar. #CPEC

100-bed hospital

900 patients seen daily in outpatient clinic

State of the Art equipment including CT Scan, Digital X-rays, medical lab etc.

https://youtu.be/cj8Q0cKHhpY?si=nBl4tUnYzDkOZih_